US demands release of diplomat arrested in death of two Pakistanis

[JURIST] The US Embassy in Pakistan on Saturday demanded [press release] the prompt release of a US man who it believes has been illegally arrested in connection with the shooting deaths of two Pakistanis, arguing the man qualifies for diplomatic immunity. On Thursday, the diplomat was reportedly confronted by two armed men on motorcycles, who minutes earlier had robbed money and valuables at gunpoint from a Pakistani citizen in the same area. The embassy has said the man acted in self-defense when he shot and killed the two armed men. After being arrested, the man identified himself to police as a diplomat and cited his right to immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations [text, PDF]. The US believes that police and senior authorities failed to check his status with appropriate channels, and formally arrested and remanded the diplomat in violation of international norms and the Vienna Convention, to which Pakistan is a signatory.

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